Published in The Post-Star (D1)
10/25/06
Most people know the basics: white goes with fish, red goes with steak, and wine in a box should simply go.
But it's a little tougher when the menu includes things like pumpkin gnocchi, grilled wild boar chop, and foie gras ice cream.
Uncorking the full potential of fine wines means pairing them with the proper flavors in food, according to Steven Kahn, director of wine services at Sargo's restaurant in Saratoga Springs.
"We, as an American society, drink what we like as opposed to what makes the food taste better," he explained. "But you go to Europe, you don't buy a bottle of wine with dinner, they give you a different glass with each course."
Following the European model, Sargo's and several other local restaurants offer monthly wine-pairing dinners, offering a chance for the culinarily curious to explore the marriage of vineyard and kitchen.
Most pairing dinners include four to six courses, from appetizer to dessert, and the wines generally progress from lighter whites to heavier reds throughout the evening. Some dinners exclusively feature wines from one winery, while others have a regional or seasonal theme.
At Friends Lake Inn in Chestertown, for example, the next pairing dinner is all about Italian wines.
"The goal is to have a little fun, and maybe provide a little education along the way," explained John Phillips, who bought the inn with his wife, Trudy, about 2-1/2 years ago. The pairing dinners had been in place for several years already, so Phillips decided to keep the tradition.
The dinners usually attract about 45 people, and at least a dozen are regulars who attend nearly every month, he said.
"Part of it is sort of an exploration, and I think that's why some people come -- they get to try things they might not try anywhere else," he said.
At this month's dinner, for example, the menu starts off with a delicate white Soave matched with saffron-marinated seafood salad, moves to a robust red Amarone for the main course of grilled wild boar chop, and concludes with a sweet white Moscato and foie gras ice cream glazed with caramel and fig.
"Most people's first reaction when they see the menu will probably be -- Uh, foie gras ice cream?" Phillips said, acknowledging that liver isn't a typical dessert flavor. "But it's actually very, very nice."
Exploring can mean challenging people's assumptions. As Kahn pointed out, chicken typically goes with white wine, but the pairing should be based on the sauce rather than the meat -- chicken marinara calls for red wine.
Even with perfectly paired courses, not every palate will always be pleased, but that's OK, Kahn said.
"Palates can differ, so it is hugely different what people taste in a wine," he said.
For example, he's considering serving Grappa with a bombolini dessert at Sargo's upcoming Italian wine pairing dinner, because it is a traditional after-dinner drink in Italy.
Grappa is a grape-based liquor that Kahn jokingly calls "the hot dog of wines" because it is made from leftover skins and stems. Distributors say it has flavors like licorice and roses, but Kahn's tastebuds aren't buying it.
"To me, it tastes like kerosene," he confided.
IF YOU GO
--Friends Lake Inn in Chestertown hosts wine pairing dinners once a month (except July and August) featuring specific wineries, themes or regions in five paired courses.
Oct. 27 at 8 p.m.: Tour of Italy, with commentary by Joe D'Arienzo and Italian wines from distributor Frederick Wildman.
Nov. 17 at 8 p.m.: Wines and commentary from Napa Valley winemaker Joseph Carr, formerly the sommelier at The Sagamore Resort.
Dec. 15: Holiday-themed dinner featuring Italian, German, French, Spanish and American wines paired with traditional holiday dishes from those countries.
Cost: $85 per person plus tax/tip, reservations required. For more information, call 494-4751. View schedule at www.friendslake.com/wine/index.html
--Lanci's Ristorante in Saratoga Springs offers monthly communal Italian dinners with paired wines featuring specific regions, as well as occasional women-only wine and food tastings.
Nov. 15, 7 to 9: 30 p.m.: Women of the Vine: The Aging Game. Class will taste five wines paired with finger foods, while learning about aging in the winemaking process. Cost: $55 including tax/tip, reservations required.
Nov. 28 and 29, 6:30 to 9: 30 p.m.: Friuli Venezia Giulia communal dinner, wines paired with four courses of northeast Italian cuisine. Cost: $80 per person including tax/tip, reservations required.
Dec. 4: White truffle dinner, paired with Barolo wines, more details coming soon on Web site.
For more information, call 581-1973. View schedule at www.lancisristorante.com/wine_food_classes.htm
--Sargo's, at Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs hosts monthly five-course pairing dinners featuring wines from a single winery.
Nov. 17: Italian wines from the Gallo Family winery in California.
Cost: $85 per person plus tax/tip ($125 in summer months, $200 for Silver Oak winery dinner), reservations required. For information, call 583-4653, ext. 2. View menus and schedule online at golfsaratoga.com/sargos.html
-- Saratoga Rose Inn and Restaurant in Hadley offers monthly five-course pairing dinners featuring wines from a single winery, region or theme.
Nov. 11: Californian wines from the Montevina vineyard, which specializes in zinfandels.
Cost: $70 per person plus tax/tip, reservations required. For more information, call 696-2861. View menus and schedule at www.saratogarose.com/restaurant_special_events.asp
-- Trillium bis, at The Sagamore in Bolton Landing hosts seven-course pairing dinners on the third Thursday of each month from May to October, featuring wines from a single winery.
Cost: $95 per person plus tax/tip, reservations required. For more information, call 743-6110. Schedule for next season will be online by early 2007 at www.thesagamore.com/dining/wine.php
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